Spring wheel



Dec. 26, 1922.

W. J. BEISEL.v SPRING WHEEL. FILED DEC. 7, 192|. 3 sHEETs-sHEET 2Patented en., 2&5, 1922. 'y

narran Mem@ titane winniniaaniron Baiser, or roar nrcnivionn, NEW Yoan.

sraine WHEEL.

Application led December 7, 192i. Serial No. 520,575.

To allwiom it may concern:

Be it known that L TWILLIAM liinsnn ,a citizen of the United States` andresiding at Fort Richmond, county of Riclnnond., State of New York? haveinvented certain new and useful llinpro'veinents in Spring llheele, ofwhich the following is a specification. l rThis invention relates tospring wheels for vehicles and isespecially adapted for use on motorvehicles. The particular `enibodiinent of it shown. jinoludes featuresof thehub structure disclosed and claimed in my copending application,Serial No. Li679# 615 filed July 26, 1921, and" features of the rinistructure adapting it to receive a demountable rim set `forth andclaimed in another application filed concurrently here` with.- Thenovelty in the present |case re-` sides principally in the longitudinalforni of the spring yspokes whereby each includes a radial portion atthe hub y and an outer end approaching the rim gradually on a lcurve oflarge radius and provided with two laterally curvedportions inthe planeof the wheel extending on oppositesides of the radial plane of the innerportion between said inner portion and said outer endk portion. Itsnovel features and advantages will be fully understood from thefollowing description and claims taken with the accompanying drawings:

ln the drawings: i

Figure l. isa side view of a wheel 'enr' u bodying the invention the`riin structure being shown partly in section and a portion of the hubcap being shown removed;

Figure 2 is a partial section on the line 2 2 of Figurel;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing al modified form ofspoke;

Figure t is a detail section 'through a part of the rim showing adifferent form of means for securing the rim; y

i Figure 5 is a similar view of another form which may be used; y Figure6 is a plan view of the end of the spoke in blank form shown incombination in Figure 5; y l

Figure 7 is a cross section showing an`- other forni of inner rim and amodification of the outer end of the spoke toy match the rim;

the ends of the spokes to Figure 8 is a side view of a portion of thewheel rirupshowing the modified lstructure ofFigure 7; y j i Figure 9 isa plan View of the blank forni of the end of a spokeused in themodification shown in Figure 7 g and y Figure 10 is a side view of oneofthe hub disks.` i

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings thehub 10 has an integralradial Hange 11 near one end and the other end12 up to that `flange iscylindrical. The spokes are made of `flat spring metal of uniform widthand of substantially uniform thickness and are all alike andsyinnietricallyT arranged` whatever numberis used. Their inner ends 13are straight and radial entering the hub structure but have laterallycurved portions between said radial hub portions and their outer ends. y

The inner radial ends of the spokes have rectangular side notches 17. Apair of circular disks 18 having central openings d8 'litting thecylindrical portion 12 of the hub have radial slots 416 and 47 in theirouter and inner edges corresponding in width to the thickness `ofthespokes with a" solid portion 19 between the ends of the slots ofsuchsize as to t in the rectangular notches 17 of the spokes with theadjacent edges of the spokes resting in the radial slots. A flange orcircular disk 20 slides over the end of cylindrical portion 12 and fitsthe sides of the spokes and one of the disks 18 while the `other sidesof the spokes and the other vdisk The preferred form of rim structureand l cooperating end structure of the spokes are shown in F iguresl and2. The inner rim 22 is channelshaped facing inward and is continuousconstituting a channel bar rim. An outer channel shaped riin`23 facingoutwardly and slightly wider than rim 22 fits the outer surface of rim22 and has its inner flange 24 of. greater height than its outer flange25 and its outer edge is transversely curved outwardly as shown' at 26.The outer edge 27 of flange 25 is transversely curved similarly to theouter edge 26. rlheouter ends 16 kof the spokes are slightly curvedoutwardly or offset at 28 and from that point on to their extreme endsthey have portions 29 closely fitting in and in contact with the baseportion of the channel riin between its side flanges and the 'sideflanges furnish lateral support. Bolts or other suitable fastening meanspass through the end "portions 29 of the spokes the haseof channel'iiin'22 and the hase of channel rini 23 and securely hold theni together.Bolts 31 having screw thread nuts pass through the side flanges 24C and25 of channel i'ini' 23 and also through retaining Clips T52 whiclihafeadepending portion adapted to lit the outer and under side of flange 25and anupper inwardly curved portion 33 above the outer edge of flange25. Theflange 25 being lower than fiange adeinountahle riin carrying' 'atire may, when clips 82 are turned out ofthe way on bolts 31 pass oyerthat flange and make contact with the curved portion '26 of flange 24.The clips 32 may then be turned backto operativeposition andbolts 31tightened to securely hold the detachable riin and tire inpositionAlthough the vmeans shown in Figures 1 and 2 constitute the pre'leiz'crlforni of connection between the ends vof vthe spokes and the channeliri'in7 other means niay he used in combination with the two channelriins the 4outer of which serves to receive a detachable riin. In Figure4 for instance is shown a forni of connection where a part of the end ofthe outer portion 16 of the spoke is curled transversely in cylindricalfoi-in Blisurrounding a bolt 35 passing through the side flanges of: theinner channel riin 22 thus securing the spoke to the riin ln this caseprojecting portions 36 and 37 inake contact with the inner surface ofthe base of channel rim 22 so as tok prevent rattling. UIn Figure 5another forni is shown where the end of portion "16 of the spokeisprovided with perforated side ears 38 which are bent at right anglesand a bolt 39 passes through them.. and through the side fi of innerchannel rini 22, the projecting end of .ie spoke bearing againstvtheinner face ol the'hase of the channel.

In Figures 7, 8, and 9, l have shown a inodiliedforin of inner channelbar riinaiid a Inodifiedforin of'spoke end to fit it and have also shownan added element in the Vforni of a continuous ring interposedbetweenith'e 'two channel bai' rinis, Iii this instance the vinner riin10 has a narrow channel l1 facing outwardly and `laterally extendingportions inthe form of a cylinder with` the centerof the huh asits axislying flat against ,the inner surface ofy the outer channel rimThe-outerchannel rim 23 and its 'meansV for receiving and retaining adetachahleriin arel the Y-sanie as heretofore described and shown in.Figures l and 2, A solid continuous ringj`fl-2 fills the channel inrirn40.

"In this instance the side portions of the spoke medias are cut away atthe end frein the point 45 in Figure 8, and the projecting narrow poi'-tion le is bent transversely on longitudinal dotted lines to'rightangles and fits over the inward projection formed by the narrowchannel il of riin d0. This lateral bending of the narrow portionl 'oftheA spoke extends somewhat beyond the point but the wider portions ofthe 'spoke are gradually bent outward lessening the central longitudinaldepression and. bringing all parts of the spoke into transversealignment or into the saine transverse plane near the riin. Bolts lepass through the lapping sides of port-ion fie the walls of channel l1and ring 42 therebyvrigidly securing the ends of the spokes l' the innerriin and ring 42 'it will he noted that in this forni as well as that ofFigures i and 2 he outer ends `of the spokes closely fit theinner'portions of the inner channel lbar riin andarerigidly bolted toit.

1t will he observed that in the forni shown in Figures 1 and 2 eachflatleaf spring spoke is curved laterally ofthe plane of its inner radialend i3 at 14' and then backacross that plane forming a.laterally'projecting portion 15 and after it has passed a materialdistance beyond that plane it is reversely curved back across the planeforming a curved projecting portion i-6 on that side of the plane.lBeyond said'second'zprojecting portion the curvature is on fa gradually increasing radius-until the outer end 16 approaches the inner faceofthe inner rii'n at substantially a l tangent and isl se cured to therim by the ineansheretofore v described. l Y

The structure shown in Figure B like that shown in Figure 1 includes thetwo 're- `versely curved portions betvveenthe ends of the spokes butdiffers inA the relative; location of the outer curved projectingportion beyond the inner curvedcportion 15. ln this instance the outercurved p tion 47 is out near `the end ofthe portion liwhei'e the radiusvof v,curvature has increased greatly and it is on.` a shorter radiusthan curve l5 and terminates in the portion48 extending along andyfitting the inwardly facing' surface ofthe inner channel bar rini 22and is secured thereto by bolts as heretofore described. ltwill benotedk that lthe two portions curved in opposite 'directions between theends of the spokes cause four different portions of the spokesto extendacross the lines-or planes of pressure in sustaining a loadY and thisadds greatly to their yielding effect and avoids jars and shocks inpassing over obstrucposed and is not limited to any of the details shownbeyond what is indicated in the claims Having thus described theinvention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A spring wheel comprising a hub, a rim, a series of spring metalspokes secured at their inner ends to the hub each embodying twoportions between its ends curved laterally of a radial plane passingthrough its inner end in opposite directions and an outer end portionhaving a radius of curvature much greater than that of the portionsmentioned making contact with and secured to the rim materially beyondthe radial planes through their inner ends.

2. A spring wheel comprising a hub, a rim, a series of spring metalspokes of greater width than thickness with their transverse f surfaceson lines parallel to the axis of the hub and rim, secured to the hub inradial planes at their inner ends and each embodying two longitudinallyspaced oppositely proj ecting portions laterally curved in reference tosaid radial planes and an outer end approaching said rim gradually on amuch larger radius of curvature, .and means for securing` said outerends to said rim the distance from the innermost curve to the rim beingmore than two-thirds of the diameter of the inner surface of the rim.

3. A spring wheel comprising a hub, `a rim, a series of spring metalspokes of great-` er width than thickness with their transverse surfaceson lines parallel to the axis of the hub and rim, secured to the hub inradial planes at their inner endsy and each embodying two longitudinallyspaced oppositely projecting portions laterally curved in reference tosaid radial planes and an outer end approaching the rim gradually on amuch greater radius of curvature, said rim being in the form of aninwardly facing channel bar and the ends of the spokes entering saidchannel at points materially beyond the radial plane of their inner endsand litting between its side flanges and means for boltingsaid ends insaid channel bar rim.

si.. A spring wheel comprising a hub,y a

i series of spring metal spokes the inner ends of which are in radialplanes and secured to the hub each spoke having two curved portionsprojecting laterally on opposite sides of the radial plane of its innerend, and a portion extending across and materially beyond. the radialplane of the inner end on a curve of large radius with its eXtreme endVportion in the arc of a circle having the axis of the hub as itscenter, a channel shaped rim facing inwardly with the inner face of itsbase in contact with the ends of the spokes and its side flanges lappingtheir sides and bolts securing said ends to said rim.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aliix my signature.

WILLIAM JAKoB BEisEL.

